1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an exercise treadmill and more specifically to a treadmill with a tread base that may be reoriented from a first or exercise position to a second or upright storage position.
2. State of the Art
Typical treadmills include a continuous or endless belt trained about a pair of laterally extending rollers mounted to and between spaced apart longitudinally extending rigid treadmill frame members. A deck is secured to and between the frame members or rails; and the endless belt moves over and under the deck upon rotation about the laterally extending rollers positioned at opposite ends of the deck.
Non-motorized treadmills typically have a flywheel to store energy from the user moving the tread. The flywheel delivers the energy to the front roller to maintain even rotation or operation of the tread particularly when the user is moving on the treadmill in such a fashion that the user's feet simultaneously leave the treadmill or substantially leave the treadmill, such as when jogging or running.
In a typical motorized treadmill, an electric motor is provided to supply rotational torque to the front roller to, in turn, drive the endless belt. The motor is typically operated through controls positioned on a control console operable by a user positioned on the endless belt.
Many treadmills have an upright post or column with a control console positioned at the front end of the treadmill to contain controls or present information desirable or useful to the user. For example, time, speed, pulse, calorie-burn and other similar information may be presented in one or more different combinations. Controls for speed, inclination, exercise program or the like, may also be part of the control console. In other circumstances, a tape player, disc player or similar device may be mounted or attached to the upright post for operation by the user during the exercise period.
The deck with the endless belt trained thereabout is typically oriented generally in alignment with a support surface such as the floor or ground in an area where exercise is being performed. In turn, a treadmill may be said to occupy or use floor space that may be at a premium in given locations. For example, in an apartment or in a small room used for exercise, the available floor space may be needed for multiple uses. In such circumstances, treadmills may be reoriented or repositioned for storage. U.S. Pat. No. 4,066,257 (Moller) shows a treadmill that is secured to wall. It may be reoriented to an upright position against the wall for storage. U.S. Pat. No. 4,757,987 (Allemand) shows a treadmill that may be folded into a portable compact structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,679,787 (Guilbault) shows a structure that may be used as a rowing machine or a treadmill in combination with a bed. That is, the exercise structure is combined with the bed and stored underneath the bed.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,642,279 (Cutter) shows a treadmill that may be reoriented to an upright position for storage and moved about upon wheels positioned at one end of the treadmill. Similarly, the HEALTH WALKER treadmill made by Battle Creek Equipment Company, Battle Creek, Mich., shows a manual treadmill which may be repositioned to an upright orientation for storage. Similarly, U.S. Patent Des. 207,541 (Hesen) shows an exercise treadmill configured for reorientation from an operational configuration to an upright orientation for storage configuration.
U.S. Patent Des., 316,124 (Dalebout, et al.) or in U.S. Pat. No. 4,913,396 (Dalebout, et al.) show treadmills structures that are not specifically intended for reorientation of the treadmill deck or endless belt when not in use. However, some treadmills have upright structures that may be reconfigured by placing the forward upright structure or post in an orientation generally in alignment with the treadmill deck as seen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,102,380 (Jacobson, et al.).